Research paper
Effects of Dietary Glutamine Supplementation on Heat-Induced Oxidative Stress in Broiler Chickens: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Study answer
What this study found
Glutamine supplementation had an overall beneficial effect under heat stress, improving growth and antioxidant defenses in broiler chickens. Pooled results showed higher body weight gain (SMD = 0.70, CI = 0.50 to 0.90), higher feed intake (SMD = 0.64, CI = 0.43 to 0.86), and lower feed conversion ratio (MD = -0.05, CI = -0.07 to -0.02). Antioxidant markers also improved, including GPX (SMD = 1.12), SOD (SMD = 0.97), CAT (SMD = 0.94), GSH (SMD = 1.25), and tissue glutamine concentration (SMD = 1.21), while MDA decreased overall (SMD = -0.84). Benefits varied by tissue and exposure conditions:…
- Study & population
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies in heat-stressed broiler chickens.
- Intervention
- Dietary glutamine supplementation was administered in feed to heat-stressed broiler chickens across 13 experimental studies.
- Key limitation
- The evidence base was small and heterogeneous, with different heat-stress models, durations, tissues, and glutamine concentrations across studies.
View source
Open PDFOriginal abstract
In avian species, heat stress (HS) is usually the result of being exposed to high ambient temperatures, whereas oxidative stress (OS) results from the overproduction of reactive oxygen species. The current literature suggests that HS often leads to O…